Kitten Corner is a registered, small pro quality of life, non-profit organization, dedicated to helping the abandoned/neglected or abused and feral kittens. KC consists entirely of dedicated volunteers with no source of outside funding.
All posts by admin
Kitten Corner
Wolfshaven Animal Sanctuary
Wolfshaven and its associates are dedicated to the responsible rescue, rehabilitation and correct re-homing of domestic dogs from all walks of life, regardless of their age, origins, or background. Wolfshaven is a staunch supporter of essential sterilisation for all domestic dogs.
Resident dogs are not in kennels, but are allowed much freedom in spacious enclosures with grass, shade and walk-in shelters, or live in the home with the family. Over the years since founded in 2000, many dogs have been overlooked for adoption due to old age or a traumatised background, and these now form the core group of the resident dogs, restricting our intakes, as our first responsibility is towards these rejected ones. Some of them are now the ripe old age of 18…still active and in excellent health. The organisation works in full co-operation with our sanctuary veterinarian, to ensure that the dogs are at all times in prime health.
We pay for sterilisation, vaccination and primary health care to assist qualifying disadvantaged dog owners in our area, and strive to continually educate the public with regards to responsible, humane dog ownership, with the emphasis on the need for sterilisation. We supply needy families, who do not want to relinquish their dogs for adoption, with food on a regular basis, provided we are allowed to have the dogs in question sterilised, as we do not feed to breed.
THE ORGANISATION IS FUNDED SOLELY BY PUBLIC DONATIONS
Healthy Mouth, Healthy Pet
Most pet owners understand the need to spend time and money on grooming, feeding and exercising their pet, yet the majority appear to underestimate the importance of oral care. As a result oral disease is one of the most commonly diagnosed pet health problems and, according to the American Veterinary Dental Society, affects over 80% of dogs and cats aged four and older.
August, national Hill’s Pet Dental Month, is time to brush up on your pet’s health as a lack of regular oral care can have serious implications for its health and well-being. Various veterinary studies have associated many systemic conditions, including heart, kidney and liver problems to poor oral health.
“Oral disease can be painful and, if untreated, can be potentially life-threatening,” says veterinarian Dr Guy Fyvie, spokesman for Hill’s Pet Dental Month, “Yet it is easily prevented with a regular dental routine which includes brushing the pet’s teeth regularly and / or feeding a food that is clinically proven to clean the teeth.”
CLAW
We are pleased to announce that the Community Led Animal Welfare (CLAW) situated in the Gauteng province has joined our little family.
We hope to be able to assist them as much as they have assisted the animals in their area.
CLAW
IFAW’s Community Led Animal Welfare (CLAW) program brings new hope. CLAW provides desperately needed veterinary services to dogs and cats, as well as vital animal care education to pet owners in some of the world’s poorest communities. Since its start in 1999, CLAW’s team of veterinarians and local volunteers have treated, vaccinated, and provided spay and neuter services to sterilize thousands of pets.
Pets are always there for us when we need them. Loyal and steadfast, they are an endless source of unconditional love. And for many in the world’s most disadvantaged communities, a pet is all a person has.
But pets suffer from poverty the same way their owners do. Without the means to provide proper care, pets can be vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and abandonment. Dogs and cats in developing countries are particularly likely to suffer from neglect and poor health.
Imagine having to stand by helpless to provide for the companion animal you love. Yet that is exactly what many in the poorest communities must face everyday.
11 Year Old Representing S.A.
Eleven year old Tiger, a once ‘mangy mongrel’ adopted from Animal Welfare, will be donning the green and gold and representing South Africa at the World Agility Championships in Belgium in May 2008.
Unlike the five other dogs on the team, Tiger is almost geriatric, and he’s far from a pedigree; he’s been described as a cross between a long-haired Chihuahua and a Toy Pom with a bit of Corgi thrown in. He is a ‘toy’ type dog and the only non-working dog on the team.
Six years ago Tiger’s owner Ansie Minnaar was doing agility training with her Border Collie, when Tiger suddenly joined in – he raced through a tunnel and demanded his treat. Ansie was stunned “it had never occurred to me that Tiger could do agility,” she says. “I lowered one of the jumps to Tiger’s height and gave him the over command, he was over it in flash.” Ansie says that Tiger took to agility ‘like a natural’ and she has been training him ever since.
Read more…
Friends of the Cat
We are happy to welcome Friends of the Cat to our resource centre. They are located in the Gauteng province. Looking for a cat? Visit their page or go directly to their site to find yourself a new friend.
Friends of the Cat
Friends of the Cat is a pro-life organisation that was founded in 1991 by Adele Joffe in Johannesburg to help alleviate the plight of homeless, abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens.
Run entirely by volunteers, our organisation aims to educate people about the value cats have in our society, as well as the responsibility we as humans have towards these magical and intriguing beings that share our world.
Despite the attempts of Friends of the Cat and other welfare organisations to stem the tide of unwanted kittens being born to unsterilised queens and toms, tens of thousands of kittens are still born annually to an uncertain fate in South Africa – a situation that could so easily be prevented by owners sterilising their cats before they become sexually mature. The result of this lack of responsible pet ownership is that thousands of kittens and adult cats who are no longer ‘cute’ find themselves without homes, and – if they are lucky — land on our doorstep. Friends of the Cat also aims to reduce the problem of feral cats in urban areas through capture and sterilisation programmes. Feral cats are domesticated cats that have returned to the wild and have to fend for themselves as best they can. They will search for food around human establishments, such as work canteens, restaurants and shopping centres. As these cats are not sterilised, their numbers are not contained. They can become a nuisance factor and are then considered vermin.
With our pro-life policy, Friends of the Cat will care for healthy cats for the rest of their lives, should they not find a suitable new home. Euthanasia is only considered as a last resort, when the animal is shown to be suffering and there is little or no hope of recovery.
We have hundreds of cats in our care that could be homed to caring owners. Adult cats will settle into a new home surprisingly easily, provided the new owner follows some basic steps to facilitate the transition, and introduces the cat carefully to its new family. In addition, an adult pet provides an instant, mature companion, with a personality that is already evident, without the additional work and care that a young kitten requires for the first six months of its life. All adult cats re-homed by Friends of the Cat are also sterilised and vaccinated.
Obesity is the biggest health issue facing pets and a form of abuse
Obesity is the single biggest health issue facing domestic animals and can be regarded as a form of abuse, according to delegates at an international conference held recently in London. Dr Guy Fyvie, a local veterinarian invited to attend, warned “Obesity amongst pets in South Africa is at a similar crisis level”.
More than half (55%) of conference attendees said that they knew of a pet that had to be euthanased because it was suffering from an obesity related disease or was too obese for routine surgery. An earlier study1 has shown that the life of an over-weight dog is shortened by at least two years (equivalent to a life expectancy shortfall in humans of about 15 years). “An overweight animal is at higher risk of co-morbidities such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer which literally take years off its life,” said Dr Fyvie. “Furthermore the extra weight can cause arthritis and mobility problems that can be extremely painful.”
The Pet Obesity Epidemic Conference (28 Feb 2008), which was sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, brought together vets, specialists in both human and animal obesity as well as animal welfare representatives, in an endeavour to examine the causes and consequences of the “epidemic” and deliver strategies to get pets back on track to better health.
Put your pet on a diet for a longer life
Load shedding takes on a whole new meaning when it applies to your pet. Putting your pet on a diet can add years to its life; a recent study has shown that a dog at optimum weight can outlive an overweight dog by two years1! Other studies have shown that excess weight increases a pet’s risk of developing heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and even cancer.
“It’s difficult for owners to be objective,” says Dr Guy Fyvie, veterinary advisor at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “Our research indicates that only 14% of cat owners & 13% of dog owners believe their pet to be overweight, but local vets say that up to 50% of animals they treat weigh more than is healthy.
“Most veterinary practices offer free weight checks, so take your pet in for a professional and objective assessment,” he advises. “If your pet is overweight the vet can rule out underlying medical conditions, and give advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes that will help your pet shed the excess kilos.”
